Paul McManus
Registered Member M香港六合彩精准资料
Contact information
Therapist - London
Features
Availability
I work with neurodiverse couples, typically where one or both partners are Autistic or ADHD.
I believe that most of the difficulties couples face can be explained by a failure to communicate. We鈥檙e surprisingly bad at communicating, even though as individuals most of us believe we are quite good at it (it鈥檚 just our partners who aren鈥檛). We鈥檙e also hopeless at mind-reading, although we tend to expect our partners to be experts at it. As a result, when our partner fails to respond to us in the way we want them to, we feel disappointed. And because we imagine we鈥檝e been very clear about what we need (and even if we haven鈥檛, the fact that they can read our mind means they ought to know anyway) we then tend to try a bit of mind-reading ourselves and conclude (wrongly, usually) that they鈥檙e doing it on purpose. And that doesn鈥檛 leave us feeling good about them or about the state of our relationship.
That might sound like an overly simple way of thinking but, at heart, I believe we鈥檙e very simple creatures. We want to be known and we want to be safe. We want to be accepted (and loved) for who we really are. So, I work simply. I鈥檒l help you talk to each other safely and I鈥檒l give you a way of understanding yourselves and each other. And I think that if you can really understand what it is that your partner wants and needs, then you鈥檙e in a much better position to be able to give it to them. You鈥檙e also much more able to decide whether or not you want to. And the same goes for them.
I love working with couples, and I think couples therapy ought to be an entirely positive experience - whatever the outcome. If it results in you deciding to stay together, your relationship will be stronger than it was before; if you decide to part then you鈥檒l be doing it knowing what you want and how to ask for it - and that鈥檚 going to make it much more likely you鈥檒l get it the next time around.
About me and my therapy practice
I use Transactional Analysis (TA) which makes it really easy, first to notice, then to understand, why we鈥檙e thinking, feeling or behaving in the way we are. Most of us go through our days with the unquestioned belief that we do/think/feel the things we do because that鈥檚 just the way we are. 鈥淚鈥檓 the kind of person who always finishes what鈥檚 on his plate.鈥 TA allows us to question that belief, and in doing so, it gives us choices. I also draw from Imago Relationship Theory which offers us a way of reconnecting with each other safely, because without connection, intimacy can鈥檛 exist.
Practice description
I work online and face-to-face from my practice in Pimlico in central London.
What I can help with
ADD / ADHD, Anxiety, Autism spectrum, Depression, Neurodiversity, Relationships
Types of therapy
Humanistic, Integrative, Person centred, Transactional analysis
Clients I work with
Adults, Couples
How I deliver therapy
Long term sessions, Long-term face-to-face work, Online therapy, Short term sessions, Short-term face-to-face work
Languages spoken
English